Beckham was "shocked and devastated" by sale to Real Madrid
Former Manchester United player David Beckham appeared on BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs as a 'castaway' to choose his eight favourite pieces of music.
Beckham shocked and devastated by Man Utd sale
Former England, Manchester United and Real Madrid football player David Beckham appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme and admitted that Manchester United's decision to sell him to Real Madrid had left him "shocked and devastated". “I didn’t watch Manchester United for three years. I would never have left" said the former England captain. Beckham said his plan had been to retire at the Premier League club.
Beckham on Desert Island Discs
Beckham was the guest for the 75th anniversary of Desert Island Discs, a show that asks a "castaway" to pick eight recordings to keep them company on an imaginary uninhabited island.
Although he's married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who was known as "Posh Spice" in the group, the midfielder failed to pick any of his wife's band's hits. Beckham said his first two song choices, "Every Time We Say Goodbye" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "What a Fool Believes" by Michael McDonald & the Doobie Brothers, reminded him of his grandfather and father. He said his dad would analyse every soccer game he played from the age of seven. Beckham said that although he knew his father was proud of him, "the only time my dad turned around to me and said, 'You know what son you've done really well', was when I got my 100th cap for England."
Beckham chooses England caps as his luxury
The footballer, who played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2013, said he would take his England caps - awarded for appearances - as the one luxury granted to each castaway.
Beckham's tracks also included "The Girl is Mine" by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, dedicated to his daughter Harper, the youngest of his four children.
Beckham rejects Victoria accusations
Beckham also took the opportunity to reject suggestions he and wife Victoria stay together for commercial reasons - the Beckham "brand" - saying they simply love each other. The A-list celebrity, who helped Manchester United achieve an unprecedented treble of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in the 1998-99 season, said his family was a "strong unit".
"People have talked about 'Do we stay together because it's a brand?' Of course not," the 41-year-old told interviewer Kirsty Young.
"We stay together because we love each other. We stay together because we have four amazing children." Beckham married Victoria Adams, "Posh Spice" in the globally successful Spice Girls pop group, in 1999, creating a high-profile celebrity partnership.
The footballer said the early stages of their relationship were conducted in his new BMW in the far-from-posh setting of a car park at a Harvester, a popular chain of pubs in Britain. "We used to kiss, of course, and just spend time together," he said.
Desert Island Discs: a British institution
There have been more than 3,000 episodes of Desert Island Discs recorded since it was first broadcast on 29 January, 1942,and the castaways have ranged from prime ministers and actors to sportspeople and scientists.